MODERN ANCIENTSThe Fleece Market Calls

BY ADRIAN VRETTOS

I USED to own, manage and run an antique store
onAsklipiou Streetin Exarhia. For those of you who don't know
about Exarhia, it's now a fashionable student
hangout between Lykavittos and Strefi hills
but it used to be where the Anarchists hung
out. For those who don't know about the
Anarchists, they were 5th century BC Athenians
who would sit philosophising, often drunk,
about the wrongs of the world and eventually
would be drawn into another traditional
ancient Greek pastime which is writing on
walls.

Which brings us back to my antique store, the
walls of which had cracks which I covered with
prints of ancientGreeceand sold for a nice profit, thank you very
much. But let me tell you a thing or two about
buying antiques. It's the same advice that
Asklepius would have told his friends if he
had owned an antique store and not been a
healer:

Go to Monastiraki! That's fromAthinas Streetto Thission train station. This has been the
hub of fleecing foreigners seeking antiques
since Asklepius came hunting for herbal
remedies. In fact, the Fleece Market runs
parallel to the ancient Agora below the
Acropolis.

If you want upscale, go to Kolonaki and
various alleys dotted around town but I avoid
these high-priced clip joints except for
comparing the price of something I just picked
up in Monastiraki.

But back to Balkan-style buying where East
meets West just like it was when Asklepius was
dispensing foot-blister salve. The crowded
flea market stalls sell everything from mobile
phones to army surplus, records to old
postcards, metal piping to Indonesian wood
carvings.

This is the place where "real" antiques can be
bought. Can you get them cheap? Some good
Victorian pieces from 1870-1905 can be
acquired off the back of pick-up trucks parked
at Avyssinias Sq in the heart of the flea
market. You'll pay between 30,000 and 300,000
drachmas. These are usually in need of
restoring. I helped a friend barter for
aSkyrosisland chair for 25,000 drs. The ornate
griffin carving and style hasn't changed much
over the past couple of millenniums.

Indeed, if you look around the slightly
overpriced shops, some real bargains can be
had. I bought an overstuffed carved Victorian
armchair for 40,000 drs. It needed
upholstering and stripping but was worth the
work. But beware of Egyptian
imitations.

You can also find lovely crystal glass sets or
finely etched glass aged 20 to 120. Again, the
best bargains are those you blow off the dust
and give the sales shark a disapproving
look.

tips on bargaining

Do it. Don't be shy. Don't be discouraged if
they laugh in your face. If they don't drop to
your suggested price - which should be at
least a third off the asked price - walk away.
Seven times out of ten, they will call you
back and add a bit onto your original barter
price. For those of you who don't speak
ancient barter Greek, all you will not
understand is: "It was bought for that price;
I'm making no profit; my sick mother is
waiting for an operation; my 10 children all
need..." etc. If you have any real desire to
buy things, it's worth going with a Greek
friend and buying lunch in exchange for their
innate haggling skills.

Ancient artifacts can be found for a stiff
price in that same buzzing market, such as
small ceramic pots used by Asklepius for his
love elixirs. If you're not an expert, it's
tough to check authenticity so better avoid
this and enjoy your photos from the museums.
If you're really interested in buying, go to
the antiquity auctions at Sotheby's et al
inNew
York
.

The modern Agora is still a fashionable Sunday
pastime for the modern ancient Greeks. Then go
for a wander in the ancient Agora which is
probably all you can afford, having wandered
through the modern ancient Fleece
Market.

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